April 28, 2015
Sosebee Cove Trail and Coosa Backcountry Trail
Today's hike was on two trails in Union County, GA. The Sosebee Cove Trail is a very beautiful short trail in an old growth forest featuring one of the richest wildflower habitats in the southeastern U.S. The Coosa Backcountry Trail is nearby and is a 12.7 mile loop beginning and ending at Vogel State Park. We accessed the trail at Burnett Gap and hiked an out and back portion to Wolf Creek
Trail information
Sosebee Cove is a beautiful short trail in a botanical paradise that was last logged in 1903. It is a memorial trail to Forest Ranger Arthur Woody. Woody loved the north GA mountains and created the first wildlife management area in the South. The trail features huge trees and a wide variety of wildflowers and plants. The nearby Coosa Backcountry Trail is a 12.7 mile loop that begins and ends at Vogel State Park. Our portion today was from Burnett Gap to Wolf Creek and back
Directions
Take highway 129 N. out of Cleveland, GA and continue past Neels Gap and Vogel State Park . Just past the entrance to Vogel State Park, turn left (west) on GA Hwy. 180 and travel 4-5 miles. Look for the Sosebee Cove sign on the right. Next, we accessed the Coosa Backcountry trail back down the road about a half mile toward Vogel State Park. The trail crosses Hwy 180 here at the start of a Forest Service Rd. Another great day for a hike! Distance hiked - 5.8 miles. Difficulty: Sosebee Cove - Easy - Coosa Backcounty - Moderately Strenuous due to elevation change
Conditions
Cloudy to Partly Cloudy and cool with temperatures ranging from 62 to 72 degrees F.
Hikers (19)
- Geri Barrios
- Wayne Barrios
- Suzanne Belflower
- Mike Bell
- John Bellamy
- Karen Brown
- Joe Collins
- Chuck Crisp
- Greta Driggers
- Jim Driggers
- Bob Magee
- Dick Metzgar
- Trushna Nadig
- Jeanne O'Connor
- Tony Presley
- Sandy Robson
- Vic Robson
- Gerald Turner
- Carole Wintle
Flowers in bloom
Large-flowered Trillium, White Erect Trillium, Star Chickweed, Mouse-eared Chickweed, Showy Orchis, Blue Cohosh, Wild Geranium, Yellow Mandarin, Squaw-root, Cut-leaved Toothwort, Broad-leaved Toothwort, Downy Yellow Violet, Sweet White Violet, Purple Violet, Halberd-leafed Violet, Umbrella Leaf, Purple Toadshade Trillium, Foam Flower, Bellwort, Meadow Rue, Field Buttercup, Hooked Buttercup, Robin's Plantain, Cinquefoil, Dwarf Crested Iris, Pink Lady Slipper, Solomon's Seal, False Solomon's Seal, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Flame Azalea, Sweet Shrub, Squaw Root and Mayapple
Birds identified
Chipping Sparrow, Eastern Phoebe, Tufted Titmouse, Rose Breasted Grosbeak, Vireo, White Breasted Nuthatch, Black & White Warbler, Oven Bird, Red Eyed Vireo and Towhee, American Crow, Robin, Chickadee, Blue Jay, Pine Warbler, Towhee and Junco
Photos (14)
Our first trail today! The start of the Sosebee Cove Trail with a lush wildflower and huge tree environment. Tree hugger! Champion sized Yellow Buckeye. Lots of Trillium varieties. Erect White Trillium Memorial sign. Foam Flower Trillium grandiflora Showy Orchis An amazing Yellow Buckeye! Next, we head down the Coosa Backcountry Trail. Nice waterfall! Pink Lady Slipper! The Wolf Creek Bridge was out. The OFHC gang for today's hike. (l-r) Tony Presley, Joe Collins, Dick Metzgar, Vic Robson, John Bellamy, Sandy Robson, Mike Bell, Wayne Barrios, Gerald Turner, Geri Barrios, Jeanne O'Connor, Bob Magee, Jim Driggers, Karen Brown, Greta Driggers, Chuck Crisp, Trushna Nadig, Suzanne Belflower and Carole Wintle. .